Celtic Knot Birthday

 For: Erin
Occasion: her birthday

I missed Erin's birthday, so to make up for it, I created the most elaborate E I ever have in this Celtic knot birthday card. It's such a cool style and takes so much focus to get it twisted the right way -- Erin is totally worth that brain effort, and I hope this year is the most incredible yet!

Alligator Birthday

For: Brian
Occasion: his birthday

Since I loved that hiking bear so much, I tried to replicate the design style with a happy alligator for Brian's birthday card! I've never seen a gator so delighted for cake. Here's hoping Brian feels this way today, too!

 

Cosmic Birthday

 For: Sam
Occasion: her birthday

For Sam's birthday card this year, I featured her love for outer space with a galactic watercolor illustration! I loved mixing colors and adding in white ink for stars and other celestial beings. I hope Sam's day is out of this world!

Hiking Bear Birthday

 For: Leia
Occasion: her birthday

For Leia's birthday card, I drew a sweet little bear ready for some intense backpacking and some birthday fun! I love the cupcake and party hat on this happy camper. The white ink really makes this card pop. I adore Leia dear and hope she has an excellent birthday!

Tea Birthday

 For: Allyson
Occasion: her birthday

For Allyson's birthday card, I did an illustration of a unique teacup steeped in some "Happy Birthday" tea! Look how happy this little friend is -- I hope Allyson has an equally delightful day!

Spidey Birthday

 For: Owen
Occasion: his birthday

My little bud turned four! He had a Spider Man-themed birthday party, so to help celebrate, I made a watercolor Spidey hanging on to a balloon. I am tickled with this card and had so much fun coming up with spidey ideas to incorporate into his birthday celebrations from afar!

Tree Anniversary

 For: Mike and me
Occasion: Our Anniversary

To help Mike and I celebrate our five year wedding anniversary, I featured this iconic (though not very stewardly) image of initials carved into an aspen tree trunk. I love how it turned out and cannot believe we tied the proverbial knot so many years ago! 

Birthday Polaroids

 For: Aunt Julie
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Julie's birthday card, I did an illustration of some birthday-themed polaroids clothes pinned to a line! I love how simple and detailed this card is. Here's hoping Aunt Julie had lots of lovely moments to capture on her big day.

Mountain Scene Birthday

 For: Sofi
Occasion: her birthday

To help celebrate Sofi's birthday, I did an illustration of a path leading up to the mountains! This was an interesting design to do, as I mixed marker and colored pencil for some different textures. I've never hiked any place like this, but hopefully Sofi and I can find something as neat when we get together to hike this summer!

Birth-Tay Card

 For: Danielle
Occasion: her birthday

Sweet Danielle turned 13! To help celebrate her big day, I made a card that features lots of Taylor Swift iconography and the clever pun "Happy Birth-Tay!" Danielle is a Swifty superfan, and I have had a lot of fun learning about the singer/songwriter this month in lots of creations for D!

XL Birthday

 For: Adam
Occasion: his birthday

Adam often sets a challenge for his birthday card, and this year, the direction was "extra large." I translated that in my mind to a giant cake on the shoulders of an Atlas character. I love how this card turned out and hope Adam and I get to hang out soon!

Get Well Soon Cat

 For: Kai
Occasion: Get Well Soon

To help hasten Kai's recovery, I created an illustration of a cat in an Elizabethan collar (aka, cone of shame) that is filled with flowers! I love the idea of the cone being repurposed for a bouquet. I used lots of glittery pens for some more sparkle -- surgery is always the pits, so I hope this card was a nice distraction!

Planet Birthday

 For: Ryan
Occasion: his birthday

For Ryan's birthday card, I did a paper collage of a planet hula-hooping its ring in a party hat! I love the colors and how playful this card is. Here's hoping Ryan's birthday is "out of this world!"

Spaceship Birthday

 For: Cole
Occasion: his birthday

To help Cole celebrate his fifth (!) birthday, I created a paper collage of him in a rocket ship headed to space! I love his happy little face in the window. Cole is such a fun kiddo and I hope he has a great day!

Floral Birthday

 For: Bri
Occasion: her birthday

For Bri's birthday card, I really wanted to paint some flowers to help her celebrate her birthday! I used gouache and taped off the edges and just love how vibrant the card turned out. Bri is a wonderful person and I hope her day and year are both incredible!

Tea Birthday

 For: Amy
Occasion: her birthday

For Amy-kid's birthday, I created an illustration of a teal teapot and teacup with some lovely tea and a lovely piece of cake! Amy loves her tea parties, so I was delighted to capture this joyful part of her life for her big day. I hope she has many relaxing cups of tea this year!

Cooler Birthday

 For: Doug
Occasion: his birthday

For Dougie's birthday, I did an illustration of a cooler with the simple text, "Have a cool day." This card makes me so happy! I miss Dougie and hope this year is amazing.

Earrings Birthday

 For: Julie
Occasion: her birthday

Julie makes incredible earrings, and has helped me with some tips on the craft! To celebrate her birthday, I did an illustration of two cupcake beads attached to silver earring hooks! I am so pleased with how this turned out, and wish these earrings were real! I love a cupcake drawing! Julie is such a kind soul and I wish her all the best this year.

Contour Birthday

 For: O'Shea
Occasion: his birthday

To help celebrate O'Shea's birthday, I created a contour map of a mountain! Among the lines are the message "Happy Birthday to you." I love the simplicity of this card! It's so Colorado and earthy. I hope O'Shea had a great day and I'm looking forward to hanging out soon!

Sympathy Flowers

 For: My Friends
Occasion: In Sympathy

Some dear friends of mine experienced a deep, deep loss. To share my sympathies, I created a simple watercolor card with some pink and purply flowers.. There really are no words, and so a card is the best we can do sometimes.

6 Bears Thank You

 For: The Samples
Occasion: Thank You

To thank the Samples for hosting us overnight for a ski trip, I played on their home's name of Six BearsWest by drawing them six bears wearing matching sweaters that spell out THANKS! I love the simplicity of this card and am so, so grateful to get to spend some time with Jim and Dianne this winter!

Slopes Thank You

 For: The Phillips
Occasion: Thank You

Sofi and Paul hosted us for an epic ski weekend earlier this month! To thank them for their hospitality, I created a mountain map with different lifts and green, blue, and black runs that spell out "Thank You"! I am so pleased with this card and had so much fun designing it. Can't wait to hit the slopes with the whole fam again next year!

Sleepy New Baby

 For: The Neals
Occasion: New Baby

Chas and Alexi welcomed baby Westley about a month ago -- to help welcome this bundle to the world, I drew a picture of him sleeping with the simple text, "welcome westley!" The Neals are amazing parents and I can't wait to hang with this little munchkin again soon!

Ice Cream Birthday

 For: Dan
Occasion: his birthday

My father-in-law is big fan of ice cream! To celebrate his birthday, I did a watercolor of a happy three-scoop cone that all together sings, "Happy Birthday!" I went with mint chocolate chip for the flavor and love how the colors fo this card all come together. I adore Dan and hope he has all the ice cream he wants today!

Cupcake Birthday

 For: Lila
Occasion: her birthday

To help the dear Lila celebrate her birthday, I painted her this delightful cupcake with a cherry on top! I love how whimsical this design is and the use of my white pen to help provide some details. Lila is so special to the Keane family--I hope she had an amazing birthday and is looking forward to the next year!

Vegas Birthday Sign

 For: Jeremy
Occasion: his birthday

For Jeremy's birthday, I took a colorful spin on the vibrant street signs one might see in Vegas! The letters read out "Happy birthday!" -- I really like how this card came out (look at that subtle shading to help it pop!) and hope Jeremy has a lovely day. 

Rooster Roller Skate Birthday

 For: Uncle Brian
Occasion: his birthday

Uncle Brian is a whimsical guy! For his birthday card this year, I did a silly drawing of a rooster wearing roller skates, goofy glasses, and wearing a party hat! I really love the playful quality of this card and hope it added to the fun of Uncle Bri's big day!

Shelf Birthday

 For: Chas
Occasion: his birthday

Chas spent some time this year figuring out how to make his own awesome shelf, so for his birthday card I created a sweet illustration of how to install an awesome shelf such as his with a cake on top! I thought this design so clever and hope he enjoyed it as much as I did!

Owl Birthday

 For: Jen
Occasion: her birthday

To help Jen celebrate her birthday, I created a cute little illustration of an owl with a party hat on! Jen loves owls, so I knew I was going to owl it up this year to help her celebrate the big day. Jen is such a fun friend and I hope she has the best year!

Get Well Soon Cat

 For: Theresa
Occasion: Get Well Soon

To help speed up Theresa's recovery, I did a gouache painting of a cat in a cone with a bandage on its leg. There's a few rats in the foreground to tie in the "Aw, Rats!" text. I hope she's doing okay and will back at 'em soon!

New Job Road

 For: The Twin
Occasion: New Job

Twin got a new job too, and since her work involves map-making, I made a road to be the primary image! The text reads, "You're going places! (And mapping the way!) Congrats!"

So proud of tiny twin and hoping the new gig is incredible!

New Job Signs

 For: Nathan
Occasion: New Job

Nathan Curry got a new job, so to help him celebrate the transition, I made this simple card of some hands holding signs among some delightful confetti. Brother Bear is the smartest guy I know and I wish him well in this transition!

Ski Gear Valentine

 For: Mike
Occasion: Valentine's Day

For Mike's valentine this year, I featured our ski gear in the shape of XOXO! Mike helped me buy my new skis that have really launched me into another level, and so I found a way to fit them in! The Os are his and hers gray and silver helmets. We have had tons of fun skiing so far this year and are hoping for many more delightful ski days!

Nugs Valentine

 For: Owen
Occasion: Valentine's Day

Owen's valentine featured a similar play on rhymes! This time hugs and kisses becomes "Nugs and Kisses," as in chicken nuggets! I added some french fries to make it a full illustrated meal. I love my goobers so much and hope Owie got a tasty meal to celebrate the love!

Bugs Valentine

 For: Adam
Occasion: Valentine's Day

For Adam's valentine, I played on hugs and kisses with "Bugs and Kisses"! My little goof nephews have been playing with rhymes so much that this was a delightful way to capture this moment in time for them. I love how all the love bugs turned out, too!

Chemistry Valentine

 For: Christy and Nathan
Occasion: Valentine's Day

Christy and Nathan met in a chemistry class in college, so for their valentine I drew them as two beakers full of some liquid with a heart tube connecting 'em! The text reads "You have good chemistry!" I love how happy this science equipment is and love the two of them even more!

Chocolate Box Valentine

 For: Mom and Dad
Occasion: Valentine's Day

I have so many memories of magical valentines candy boxes growing up, so for my parents valentine this year, I drew them a heart-shaped box full of chocolates! It was so fun to come up with the decorations for each gamble chocolate. Mom and Dad are the OG valentines, and I hope they had a wonderful day together!

Maze Valentine

 For: Amy and Alex
Occasion: Valentine's Day

For Amy and Alex's valentine this year, I created a circular maze! There are two gold hearts connected through the maze by a silver line; the text reads "so glad you found each other!" Mazes are tough to make and I redid it a few times to get it right. I hope these two had a great celebration and are looking forward to a year of love!

Gnome Birthday

 For: Dylan
Occasion: his birthday

For Dylan's birthday card, I made a collage of a gnome holding a "happy birthday!" toothpick banner. I love how fun this card looks and hope Dyls had an awesome day!

Bags Birthday

For: Ben
Occasion: his birthday

Ben is an epic bags player, so for his birthday card I did a paper collage of a bags set with a cupcake on top! I am particularly pleased with how the paper-as-fabric turned out as the bags are clinging to the board. Here's hoping Ben has a great year of epic victories!

 

Soccer Foul Birthday

 For: Danny
Occasion: his birthday

Danny is an incredible soccer player, so for his birthday card I did an illustration of a ref blowing his whistle and handing out a birthday card (in place of a red or yellow card)! The text reads "a card on your birthday" -- I am so pleased with this card and hope he had a great day!

Cupcake Stand Birthday

 For: Jeannine
Occasion: her birthday

I made a silvery cupcake stand illustration for Jeannine's birthday card this year. She makes incredible cupcakes for everyone's birthdays in her family, so I wanted to give her some of her own! I hope she has a wonderful birthday and is looking forward to this year. 

Balloon Dog Birthday

 For: Uncle John
Occasion: his birthday

For Uncle John's birthday card, I did an illustration of a balloon animal dog! This was so much fun to figure out, and I am particularly proud of the color layering. I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did and had a wonderful day!

Perfect Tea Birthday

 For: Jackie
Occasion: her birthday

For Jackie's birthday card, I wanted to wish her a perfect cup of tea! The tea bag is relaxing and settling in to the swirly steam. The text reads "Have a Tea-rrific day!" I love Jackie so and hope she gets the temp just right on all her beverages this year!

Yoga Birthday

 For: Robyn
Occasion: her birthday

Robyn is amazing at yoga, so for her birthday card this I drew an illustration of her on the mat in a party hat in tree pose! I think I really captured her spirit in this card and hope she gets lots of presence this year!

Rolling Stones Birthday

 For: Joe
Occasion: his birthday

For Joe's birthday card this year, I did my best rendition of the Rolling Stones mouth (which I learned is called the Hot Lips logo)! Joe is a connoisseur of classic rock and I had a great time coming up with this card design--here's hoping this year is a great one!

Cupcake Collage Birthday

 For: Lydia
Occasion: her birthday

Lydia is quite artistic and I always love seeing what projects she is up to! For her birthday card this year, I did a collage to create a cupcake along with her name in deep red letters. It's also the first time I used tiny washi tape to help punch up the card. I adore my dear cousin and hope this year is amazing!

Trombone Birthday

 For: Charlie
Occasion: his birthday

Charlie is playing the trombone now! For his birthday card, I made a fun illustration of him belting out "Happy Birthday, Charlie!" The song is coming off the page with a pretty neat 3D design feature.

A Debbie Dots first, after all this time! I had a blast making this card and hope it helped set the tone for his big day.

Floral Birthday

For: Lexi

Occasion: her birthday 

I had so much fun painting this card! Lexi is a dear friend of mine who I haven't gotten to connect with much recently, so I wanted to make sure her bday card was spectacular--lo and behold, this beauty is what came from that intention! I love Lex so and can't wait to see her in a few weeks!